Janssen just going for it

[RowdyFan42]

Janssen just going for it

By: Chris Fitz Gerald, The Record

Cam Janssen has taken the simple approach to his first professional hockey season.

The fiery rookie right winger has leaped right into the action with reckless abandon this season.

"I've just got to jump right into it, there's not much you can do about it," said Janssen, who turned 20 in April. "You're put in a situation, you want to play and you want to stick (with the team) and you've got to do what you have to do to stay with the team."

Janssen took Albany's first penalty this season and wound up with two on the night in a dominating 6-2 victory over Binghamton last Friday - and not surprisingly, both minors were of the roughing variety.

"If I've got to step up to the plate every night, I will," said Janssen, a St. Louis native. "And that's why I'm going to be staying on this team. You've got to show up every night and you can't take nights off."

So much so, Janssen already leads the team in penalty minutes (38) heading into tonight's game versus Bridgeport.

"The rivalry is a good thing and it's a good for the fans," Janssen said. "And I know one thing, I hate them already. I hated them before I played them. It's interesting stuff and I kind of like it."

Albany coach Robbie Ftorek doesn't mind Janssen's attitude a bit.

"He's feisty, he's aggressive and he just wants to win," Ftorek said.

Janssen doesn't tread lightly when becoming acquainted with this level of hockey. In short, he likes to mix it up, which is a long-term goal of his.

"I might not be the biggest guy out there, but they'll be looking for me - that's for sure," he said.

The rookie also showed some offensive flair as he scored in his pro debut, deflecting a drive from defenseman David Hale past Binghamton goaltender Ray Emery.

"It's a tough jump from playing in the (Ontario Hockey League) to here," Janssen said. "You go from playing against boys to grown men. For me, it's been pretty tough."

Janssen compiled 169 penalty minutes along with 11 goals and 13 assists in 65 games with Windsor and Guelph of the OHL last season.

"We're still only three games in and it's going to take some more time," Janssen said. "I'm still making rookie mistakes here and there, but I feel once I get going here and get used to all this I'm going to turn out to a good player in this league and be a force out there."

"He wants to go out and play and he wants to get better," Ftorek said. "After practice today, he was working with Pascal (Rheaume) on his boardwork and his shooting. ... He's passionate about the game and that's a very good thing."

Janssen is just as confident about the Rats' potential as a team this year.

"We've got a lot of new guys this year and we're still trying to click," Janssen said. "And once we start clicking, we're going to have a great team here."

Game rosters boosted: Earlier in the week, the AHL Board of Governors approved an increase in the size of playing rosters from 17 to 18 players.

"I think it's important," Ftorek said. "You can throw four lines right through and when you have four games in five nights and three games in three nights it's important that you don't hurt guys. You're going to be moving guys in and out of the lineup."

This obviously helps players of any level get more ice time.

"I think if a kid's not playing, then he's not getting better," Ftorek said. "So it's important that if you're going to have this many guys around that you have the ability to play them all."

Red Sox faithful: Several River Rats follow the Boston Red Sox, as is Ftorek, who grew up rooting for the Sox in his hometown of Needham, Mass. Ftorek didn't know Boston's fortunes in Game 7 on Wednesday until he stepped on the team bus.

"Last night was tough because they didn't announce the score once at Bridgeport, not during the game," Ftorek said. "Then after we talked with the boys and I got on the bus, it was like 'can you put the game on?' So they put the game on and they gave a recap of (Johnny) Damon getting a two-run home run and a grand slam and it was like 'the Red Sox are winning 8-1!'

"So it was pretty nice and it was exciting.'"

Ftorek recalls watching Boston's last World Series against St. Louis in 1967 in which the Cardinals prevailed in seven games.

"Now I think the hardest thing they have to do is regroup and come down a couple levels to get prepared for the next series," Ftorek said.

Janssen chipped in that he follows, with no big surprise, the Cardinals.

Edited October 22, 2004 by Rowdyfan42

[Pepperkorn]

I HATE the Red Swawx as they call them in Baston. Edited October 22, 2004 by Pepperkorn

[aylbert]

Im not a big fan of Jannsen's mouth; he is sounding worse than Holik... defintely sounds more of a flyer

But the flyers beat us; maybe we need some of that.

[Fidgetess]

Some more Janssen quotes (talking about tonight's game vs. Bridgeport, from the Schenectady Gazette):

"We are getting pretty ticked off at them (Bridgeport), I'll tell you that right now...I think you can call it a rivalry. After these three games, we're going to hate each other. I know I hate them already. We've got to find a way to beat them."

""You get that mentality. You get pretty ticked off out there, especially when you play a team three times in a row like this," Janssen said. "We definitely owe them a butt-kicking."

[paynerj]

Thats the game Janssen plays, he uses his mouth, but backs it with his fists. It's the way he gets under the other teams skin, and hypes himself up. I'm not a big fan of mouth pieces on the ice, butif they back it, I'm ok with that.

[paynerj]

Thats the game Janssen plays, he uses his mouth, but backs it with his fists. It's the way he gets under the other teams skin, and hypes himself up. I'm not a big fan of mouth pieces on the ice, but if they back it, I'm ok with that.

Edited October 24, 2004 by paynerj